Drones Operations Manager

Our Global Structure Deliveroo is now part of DoorDash, bringing together teams with even greater reach, scale, and ambition. Depending on your role, you may collaborate with teammates, systems, and leaders across DoorDash and Wolt. Together, we’re unlocking new possibilities as one global team. About the Team DoorDash Labs is an independent team within DoorDash. We explore robotics and automation to transform last-mile logistics in the long term. If you have a passion for applying autonomous aviation technologies in a service used by millions of people, then we want to talk to you! About the Role As the Drone Operations Manager for UK & Ireland, you are a player-coach who will stand up our drone delivery operation in the region from nothing. You will personally fly on a regular basis, as a working pilot, while you build the team, find and fit out the operating sites, and help take us through UK CAA and/or Irish Aviation Authority (IAA)/EASA authorisation. You will contribute to the manuals you fly under. As we build out the team in 2027, the future Chief Pilot (or equivalent nominated post-holder) and Head of Maintenance will report to you. You will work day to day with engineering and product, in person, at the launch site. This role is on-site and cannot be done remotely. What You'll Do Day to Day Fly and Operate (a regular part of the job, not occasional): Fly as a pilot in command on a regular rota: aircraft acceptance and commissioning flights, proving flights for the regulator, and live delivery operations. Run pre-flight and post-flight checks, site and airspace checks, weather go/no-go decisions, battery and payload handling, and flight logging in line with the Operations Manual. Act as visual observer, payload operator or flight supervisor as needed, and be on the ground at launch and landing sites during operations. Keep your own pilot competency, currency, recurrent training and flight records up to date, to the standard you set for the team. Lead incident, accident and occurrence response in the field and file regulator reports (CAA mandatory occurrence reporting / IAA-EASA equivalent) and run the follow-up investigation. Build the Team: Recruit, hire and onboard the first pilots, ops technicians, visual observers, maintenance staff and the nominated safety/compliance post-holders. Write the training syllabus and run initial and recurrent training, including practical flight checks, competency assessments, emergency drills and currency tracking. Build the duty roster, flight-time and fatigue limits, and on-call coverage. Find and Build the Sites: Scout and secure launch/landing sites, hubs and maintenance space near merchant partners. Walk the sites, survey obstacles, flight paths, ground risk and operational suitability, and negotiate access, leases and landowner permissions. Oversee on-site fit-out: workshop space, battery charging and storage (including fire protection and lithium battery storage rules), power and connectivity, security, landing pads, signage, first aid and fire equipment. Support planning consent and local authority approvals. Own risk assessments, health and safety procedures, and set up all site requirements with support from corporate teams as needed. Own the launch plan, budget, vendors and timeline for each site. Lead local community and stakeholder engagement for each site (neighbours, local authorities), including noise and privacy concerns. Work with the aircraft provider and engineering on site layout, charging, battery swap and loading equipment. Regulatory Authorisation and Compliance: Run the Safety Management System (SMS): hazard reporting, risk assessments, safety reviews, audits and corrective actions. Stay compliant with UK GDPR/EU GDPR (ICO or Data Protection Commission), insurance (Regulation 785/2004 and UK equivalent), noise, and local environmental requirements. Be the day-to-day contact for the CAA, IAA and air navigation service providers, including audits, inspections and flight demonstrations. Scale the Operation: Track flight, delivery and reliability metrics and use them to improve procedures, rotas and site layouts. Work with the commercial operations lead to match merchant demand to flight capacity. Work with the US drone operations team to adapt proven processes to the UK/Ireland regulatory environment. Why You'll Love This Role Keep flying: you will be hands-on with aircraft every week while you lead. Be at the forefront of autonomous aviation and shape last-mile drone delivery in the EMEA. Build a team, a site and an operation from the ground up with autonomy and trust. Work directly with engineers who build the aircraft and software you operate. What We're Looking For Current remote pilot qualifications and significant hands-on UAS flight experience (including BVLOS or complex operations), with a CAA or EASA-recognised pilot competency (e.g. A2 CofC, GVC/OSC-level, or national equivalent). Experience holding or managing UK CAA Operational Authorisations and/or EASA Specific category authorisations (or LUC). Proven ability to write and enforce SOPs, checklists and Operations Manuals. Working knowledge of UK CAA / IAA / EASA regulations, SORA, airspace and compliance frameworks. Experience leading and training pilots, and starting up or scaling flight operations. Practical experience setting up an operating site: finding space, working with landlords, contractors and local authorities, and handling battery storage and site safety. Background in risk assessment, SMS, and emergency response. Willingness to work in the field in all weather, including early mornings, evenings and weekends, as operations require. Bonus Qualifications Commercial drone delivery or logistics experience. Prior involvement in obtaining BVLOS authorisations in the UK or EU. Technical understanding of autonomous flight systems, aircraft maintenance and aviation software. Existing relationships with the UK CAA, IAA, NATS or AirNav Ireland. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion At Deliveroo, we know that a great workplace reflects the world around us and that true diversity and inclusion make us stronger, more creative, and better at what we do. We’re committed to fostering an environment where everyone can do their best work and feel they belong. We believe in equality of opportunity and welcome candidates from all backgrounds regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion, or belief. If you have a disability or long-term health condition and need support to apply for one of our roles, or require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, you’ll have the opportunity to let us know once you’ve submitted your application. We’ll share details on how to request support so we can ensure you have a fair and equitable experience. If you’re excited about making a real impact in a fast-moving marketplace and growing your career alongside ambitious, supportive teams, we’d love to hear from you! Beware of recruitment scams: DASH Brands will never ask you to pay money or share sensitive financial information during hiring — learn more about DASH Brands' legitimate recruiting process at careersatdoordash.com/recruitment-scam-awareness .